Perhaps there's an old ruling that forbids any building to rise higher than the tower of St Peter's Church? Like the old Philadelphia one where nothing was allowed to surpass the City Hall in height for decades...

Yes I think I read somewhere that no building is allowed to be built higher than St Peters church.

You have to remember that Wolverhampton is one of the poorest cities in the UK and some surounding areas is the most deprived in the UK. I think it's more about money than having a choice for high-rise buildings. The council are forking out a much as they can.

World class offices, a new square for West Bromwich town centre as well as a new road paving the way for a whole new business estate at Hill Top are among the early projects unveiled by RegenCo.

"Bringing about a transformation of a whole area is, by nature, slow but I'm delighted to report that just over two years into our remit, we already have some early successes," said Ros Kerslake, chief executive of the urban regeneration company responsible for West Bromwich, Smethwick and Hill Top.

"We now have solid plans for bringing world-class offices back to West Bromwich," she added.

"The last time we saw those built was back in the 1970s with Intersection House -where we're based now. We're assembling a perfectlypositioned site at the first island off the Expressway as you leave M5 at Junction 1.

"We've named the former Sandwell Homes Depot site All Saints. If you consider rents around here are only £10 to £12 at the moment, we believe these could lift to £16 and still compare very favourably with Birmingham rents. Junctions 3 and 2 have their office parks, it's now junction 1's turn."

David Higson from Challinors said: "We've been based in West Bromwich for nearly 100 years. It's an excellent base from which to do business.

"We seem to get the best of both worlds being just down the road or tramline from Birmingham and also at the gateway to the Black Country.

"The prospect of having better office accommodation would encourage more professional organisations into the locality and encourage economic growth for all those involved. We see this as the final brick in the wall, into making West Bromwich a vibrant professional centre."

Ros Kerslake continued: "Building has started on the new square linking Queen's Square with The Public and Tesco-led development.

"You can already see how it's going to give West Bromwich town centre a proper heart and focal point. It's due to be completed by autumn this year. It will be the first, physical evidence of the difference we're making - we saw the need for it, helped design it as well as played a role in its funding and implementation.

"We've worked with SMBC to downgrade all the roads surrounding the square to create a relaxed atmosphere where people will enjoy sitting and watching the world go by. It's a sizeable area suitable for markets and street entertainers. The high quality design and materials really set the standard for others to follow."

Allan Lockhart of developers Halladale also said: "The new Queen's Square proposals follow the positive lead given to the regeneration of West Bromwich town centre by Sand-well Council and RegenCo. West Bromwich town centre has an exciting future and the new Queen's Square will complement the proposed new Tesco-led development, as well as blending in well with The Public."

RegenCo also announced that it had clinched £800,000 of funding for two, detailed, implementation studies on several projects including the designing of a new road to open up Hill Top and pave the way for a new business park there.

Among RegenCo's other early plans are bringing forward a major new business park at Junction 1, aspirational housing and plans for a learning village with a university presence.

Urban village is a step closer
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By Victoria Nash
Jun 17, 2006
The creation of a spectacular urban village in Bilston is moving closer to reality after the Government handed out more than £8 million towards the transformation.

Officials have rubber-stamped the sum which will go towards the ambitious scheme, set to mark a new era for the town.

The project - one of the biggest regeneration schemes in the Wolverhampton area - will include 1,000 homes, health and leisure complexes, shops and pubs and the creation of up to 900 jobs.

Bosses at Wolverhampton City Council said news of the grant was "a major step forward".

Work to clear former scrapyards at Brook Terrace is now close to completion and the latest funding will now kick-start two major reclamation projects on seven acres of brownfield land in the town.

Advantage West Midlands is set to forge ahead with stabilising shallow mining voids and providing new roads and services at the site so that work can begin on the council's new leisure centre for Bilston.

Development work will also be carried out on a pedestrian link between the Urban Village and Bilston's town centre high street.

The work is set to start in July and will take around 12 months to complete.

More than 100 acres of wasteland in bilston is set to be transformed as part of the full project.

A report by the council, Advantage West Midlands and the regional development agency has showed plans to rid the south side of the town of a legacy of centuries of industrial and mining ravages.

It shows plans to rid the south side of the town of a legacy of centuries of industrial and mining ravages.

Allotments, upgraded playing fields, about 30 acres of parkland, a boulevard link to the High Street, provision for a new Metro tram stop and pedestrian and cycle networks are also planned.

Regeneration boss councillor Peter Bilson said: "This is a major step forward and will raise both confidence and aspirations for Bilston and the surrounding areas.

"In affect this funding will allow the first phases of work to commence. This really gives the green light for the whole project and for a better Bilston.

"It will dramatically improve the area for businesses and everyone living there. We are very pleased with this funding. It is excellent news."

An alliance of industry and politicians has thrown its weight behind "visionary" plans to bring about long-term economic transformation across the Black Country.

Business groups and MPs all pledged their support for a campaign calling on Government to support investment plans which would create new jobs, revitalised housing and much more efficient transport links throughout the region.

Led by West Bromwich West MP Adrian Bailey, MPs signed up to a parliamentary motion which congratulates the Black Country Consortium on its work in pressing the case for a new economic strategy.

Backed by Dudley, Sand-well, Walsall and Wolver-hampton councils, along with voluntary sector partners and business chiefs, the Black Country Study was recently submitted to Government and will now go forward to a crucial planning review which will set the framework for the long-term future.

Mr Bailey said the Black Country Study charted a powerful and compelling case for driving up regional prosperity in the four main centres of Brierley Hill, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton along with other traditional town centres such as Dudley and Stourbridge.

Consortium chief executive Sarah Middleton said: "I'm absolutely delighted that we have seen such a strong and consistent body of opinion emerging across the region in the development of the study and in the period since it was submitted six weeks ago."

Steven Hassel, Westfield's Brierley Hill development executive, said: "The company is committed to the vision of an integrated Brierley Hill that maximises the potential of the area and plays a significant role in the renaissance of the Black Country."

You have to remember that Wolverhampton is one of the poorest cities in the UK and some surounding areas is the most deprived in the UK. I think it's more about money than having a choice for high-rise buildings. The council are forking out a much as they can.

Backed by Dudley, Sand-well, Walsall and Wolver-hampton councils, along with voluntary sector partners and business chiefs, the Black Country Study was recently submitted to Government and will now go forward to a crucial planning review which will set the framework for the long-term future.

Great news, the development in Dudley is taking shape. For once Dudley council have said yes to something being built, however they are still hanging on to derelict offices and shops right the way through the town as they have no vision and will not allow people to do anything. You have it, the new building next to Frankie and Benny's is taking shape. Unsure what it is, could be a KFC or Burger King, but this is progress for Dudley. Something productive for once, the council have stopped sitting on their hands and being in denial... for now.

The old six or seven storey office block Cavendish House has stood empty since 1994 - it stands 'proudly' by the southern bypass, vandalised and boarded up for all to see. In fact, judging by its name on the side in big letters it's now just called "dish House"......

I don't know whether Wolverhampton is one of the poorest cities but you have to admit most of it is pretty poor.

I lived there for 10 years, I can't believe that to be true. Take a look at the whole west side of Wolverhampton (Tettenhall, Compton, Finchfield). To me, those are some of the most beautiful suburbs in the UK. The only 'bad' parts of Wolves to me are the area around New Cross Hospital and anywhere along the railway line and the area along the A4123 corridoor. Other than that, the rest is extremely liveable.

I lived there for 10 years, I can't believe that to be true. Take a look at the whole west side of Wolverhampton (Tettenhall, Compton, Finchfield). To me, those are some of the most beautiful suburbs in the UK. The only 'bad' parts of Wolves to me are the area around New Cross Hospital and anywhere along the railway line and the area along the A4123 corridoor. Other than that, the rest is extremely liveable.

No, the areas nothingman mentioned are in Wolverhampton and are decent places. Tettenhall is nice - a nice green with the pool and luxury houses a-plenty onto the Wergs Rd. The Bridgnorth Rd area is nice also.

I just usually think of Heath Town, Low Hill, Whtimore Reans, Blakenhall, Ettingshall and the like. But it's a town/city that grew up around industry so whad'ya expect??

The future of the first defining building by one of the UK’s most internationally-acclaimed young architects is under threat from a Will Alsop masterplan, it has emerged.

Sergison Bates’ 1998 Wharf Bar pub in Walsall is set to face the wrecking ball if Alsop’s proposals, drawn up for Urban Splash, come to their full fruition.

The building, which is adjacent to Caruso St John’s New Walsall Art Gallery, was critically acclaimed when it opened – to this day architecture students make international trips to visit it.

The practice credits it with launching it onto the international scene, which culminated in a joint professorship at Zurich University.

But Alsop describes the building as ‘horrible’. ‘I don’t like it at all,’ he said. ‘It’s not up to much.

‘Also, it’s falling apart,’ he added. ‘It wasn’t built well and this needs to be done. It won’t happen in the first phase but it will happen eventually.’

Alsop’s plans would see the demolition of a whole swathe of Walsall and the construction of a series of new buildings by Alsop himself, Shed KM and rising Austrian stars Querkraft.

Urban Splash was more reticent about condemning the Sergison Bates building outright. ‘We are in a dialogue with the owner of the long-lease of the bar about its future,’ local director Nathan Cornish said.

‘Our thinking is that the Gallery Square does not work very well at bringing people into the waterside site. We believe another public building such as a hotel might work better there.

‘But if we can’t come to an agreement with the landowner then we’ll have to complete our scheme with the bar in place – the masterplan works with or without the pub.

‘This is not about architectural merit – I really like it as a building. But the point is that we might get 15 or 20 better buildings if it goes and that must be remembered,’ Cornish added.

Got a question for you Black Country forumers - I'm a fairly new member to the site although I've been a keen watcher for about 6 months now - what would you think to having an "Official Black Country Thread" at the top of the page next to the Birmingham one? It's always struck me that there are a number of different threads covering the length and breadth of the Black Country so why not bring them together in one?
If you class the Black Country as the four boroughs, as many do nowadays, then you have a polulation execeding that of Birmingham (I think!). I don't think anywhere else of note in the country has the set up we have in the West Midlands where there exists two city size areas side by side in one conurbation possessing distinct identities and histories but which complement each other so well. As an example, Manchester is the main city of that conurbation but the other towns have very little in common with each other, they have simply grown up 'around' Manchester. They don't have a corperate identity.
I think that the "Birmingham Metro Area" could support both an Official Birmingham Thread and an Official Black Country Thread. I've checked the other city threads and each has only one officially sanctioned thread. Maybe someone could put it to Woody?
I'm a proud inhabitant of these parts and have been bred and schooled in both Birmingham and the Black Country. Both areas have proud histories and exciting futures and I think this site should reflect that. But I'm only asking the question! Tell me what you think.

__________________BEARWOODA small child nestling contentedly between the two heaving bosoms that are Birmingham and the Black Country